Back in 2010, writers Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery teamed up with artists Andy Belanger, Ian Herring, and Kagan McLeod for a bloody, pulpy take on the ol' Bard. The first volume of Kill Shakespeare was a tremendous hit, pitting Hamlet against Juliet, Othello, Falstaff, and others in his quest to resurrect his father. Later volumes introduced the menacing Mac family, along with a mysterious wizard known as William Shakespeare. The series even spun off into a board game, an audio drama, and even a stage show (which enjoyed a brief engagement at Shakespeare's Globe).
Now, Kill Shakespeare is back with the bloody showdown that everyone's been waiting for — Romeo Vs. Juliet! Here's how Del Col (who recently received a Pulitzer Prize for his work on I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp) describes the book, which will be released as an original graphic novel in the fall:
Our new story Romeo Vs. Juliet is a great entry point for everyone—a Shakespearean western in which Juliet Capulet has survived her ordeal with Romeo and has reinvented herself as an independent warrior-for-hire. In order to help protect a small nunnery and border town from her ex-lover, Juliet must reunite with old allies, including Hamlet, Othello, and Puck. And did I mention Juliet's pregnant? And the father could be either Hamlet… or Romeo? What could be more Shakespearean than that?
Romeo Vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure features artwork by Stefan Tosheff, with letters by Becca Carey and a cover by Richard Isanove. The completed book won't be published until November 19, 2024, but we have an exclusive look at the first few pages right here, where a badass Juliet raises herself from the grave to slay some interlopers. Just as the Bard intended!
If you're intrigued, the full first act of Romeo Vs. Juliet will be released for free this weekend as a special Free Comic Book Day preview. The full publication will follow in November 2024. A new Folio edition collecting the first two volumes of Kill Shakespeare will also be published on September 24, 2024.
